2000
#25,484
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 911
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.34
Rare Last name
Rong
Originally a Chinese surname representing nobility or high status.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,668 Americans carry the last name Rong. That puts it at #12,671 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 128,469 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rong surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Rong with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 128,469
Census rank
#12,671
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,327 bearers of the surname Rong in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12671st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rong, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.8%. The next largest groups are White (3.1%) and Black (0.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rong
The surname RONG is believed to have originated in China, with historical records suggesting it first emerged during the Tang Dynasty, which ruled from 618 to 907 AD. The name is derived from the Chinese word "rong," which means "prosperous" or "flourishing." It is thought to have been adopted as a surname by families who lived in prosperous regions or who wished to convey their aspirations for prosperity and success.
One of the earliest known references to the RONG surname can be found in the "Tang Huiyao," a historical text compiled during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD). This text mentions several individuals with the RONG surname who held important positions within the Tang imperial court.
In the subsequent centuries, the RONG surname spread across various regions of China, with notable individuals bearing this name appearing in historical records. For instance, RONG Qiqi (1156-1236) was a renowned Confucian scholar and poet during the Song Dynasty, renowned for his contributions to the development of Neo-Confucianism.
During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the RONG surname gained further prominence with the rise of RONG Changxi (1552-1624), a prominent military leader and statesman who played a crucial role in suppressing rebellions and defending the empire's borders.
In more recent times, notable figures with the RONG surname include RONG Zhijian (1976-), a former Chinese professional basketball player who represented China in the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games. Another prominent individual is RONG Chuanxing (1828-1912), a Qing Dynasty scholar and calligrapher known for his mastery of the cursive script.
While the RONG surname originated in China, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. However, historical records and data from earlier periods provide a more comprehensive understanding of the surname's origins and significance within Chinese culture and society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rong
Among Census respondents with the surname Rong, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.8%. The next largest groups are White (3.1%) and Black (0.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Rong bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Rong surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander94.8% · 2,207
- White3.1% · 73
- Black or African American0.7% · 16
- Two or more races0.7% · 16
- Hispanic or Latino0.6% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rong
Rong appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#18,910
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,444
+533 bearers (+58.5%)
Per 100,000 0.49
Rank movement Up 6,574 places
2020
#12,671
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,327
+883 bearers (+61.1%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Up 6,239 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #25,484 | 911 | 0.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #18,910 | 1,444 | 0.49 | +533 bearers (+58.5%) | Up 6,574 places |
| 2020 | #12,671 | 2,327 | 0.78 | +883 bearers (+61.1%) | Up 6,239 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Rong surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #18,910 | #12,671 | 33.0% |
| Count | 1,444 | 2,327 | 61.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.49 | 0.78 | 58.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rong bearers went from 1,444 to 2,327 (+61.1% change). The surname moved up 6,239 positions in the national ranking, going from #18,910 to #12,671.
FAQ
Rong surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rong?
Name Census estimates that about 2,668 living Americans carry the surname Rong. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 128,469 residents.
How common is Rong?
Rong ranks #12,671 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,327 people with the surname Rong. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,668), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.78 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Rong.
Has Rong become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rong went from 1,444 recorded bearers to 2,327. That is an increase of 883 (+61.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #18,910 to #12,671.
What does the Census say about the background of Rong?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rong, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.8%. The next largest groups are White (3.1%) and Black (0.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Rong in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.8% (2,207 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rong appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (94.8%), White (3.1%), Black (0.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Rong (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Rong mean?
Originally a Chinese surname representing nobility or high status. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Rong (0.78 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Rong?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.